AN: Some reviewers have mentioned that Emma may seem a little different in this story - she is still damaged and protective of herself but she never got messed around by Neal/spent time in jail or had Henry. She was still abandoned and in and out of the foster system so a few little tweaks to her character were needed. I hope this explains why she may seem slightly OOC.
Chapter 15
Emma watched helplessly as Killian strode to his desk and picked up a small expensive looking vase. He hurled it angrily at the wall and growled his anger out in a deep tone as the glass littered the floor.
She jumped to her feet, regardless of the mess she made with all of the paperwork. Emma had never seen Killian so physically enraged, his entire body was rigid and his jaw was clenched.
"I'm going to get Graham. We need to work through this." Robin told her quietly, not affected in the slightest by Killian's out of character behaviour. He left the room quickly and silently, leaving Emma's eyes to quickly drift back to Killian.
The anger seemed to have drained out of him and he was running his hands anxiously through his already tousled hair. He was muttering under his breath and Emma took several tentative steps forward because she couldn't make any of it out. She had dealt in many situations like this one on previous cases but the feelings rushing through her were something new.
Emma had learnt quite fast that Killian had a tendency to hold everything inside, let it eat away at him until it built up and burst out. In that way they were very similar, maybe too similar. Sometimes it felt like he was reading her as easily as one reads a book. He saw through her walls and maybe she needed to do the same thing for him.
Killian had his back to her and she reached out her hand to slowly grasp his arm. He twisted suddenly and his eyes bore into hers with an intensity that had her heart leaping into her throat.
"Not again...Not again...Not again..."
Emma finally caught the ramblings tumbling from his mouth. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to read the wild emotions fluttering across Killian's face. He was as unreadable as ever and Emma had to curse the fact that she couldn't easily place his emotions.
His hands reached out and swiftly pulled her into his arms. Emma nestled her head into Killian's shoulder and folded her arms around his waist. He smelt so delicious, his fragrance wrapping itself around her. His embrace was firm and she felt his head come to rest on top of her own. Emma felt Killian's body relax and she took a moment to give him a tight squeeze, feeling the now familiar tingles rush through her body from the contact.
The lines were beginning to blur and Emma wasn't sure she would be able to separate them.
"Who is Gold?" Emma mumbled into his shoulder, trying to seek answers from him.
"I won't let it happen again...not to you Swan! I was so careful." Killian swore vehemently in return.
Emma heard the door opening behind her and pulled herself slowly out of Killian's arms. She felt slightly bereft and cold as she took a step back.
"We won't let it happen again Killian," Robin's voice sounded confident as he let himself and Graham into the room.
"It's a message." Killian told Robin as his eyes shot a worried look at Emma.
Graham came to stand closely next to her and she watched as Killian's eyes narrowed at the body guard.
"Will somebody tell me what the hell is going on?" Emma erupted loudly, she was sick of all the tail chasing in the current conversation.
"Start with Gold!" Her demand caught the men's attention and garnered a small smile from Killian. Emma knew that he was fond of her bossy side so simply gave him an eye roll.
"Mr Gold is the elusive head of 'Dark Gold,'" Killian informed her as they all found places to sit in the room.
"Oh..." Emma found herself lost for words. She knew of 'Dark Gold' one of the biggest manufacturing companies in the world and according to Interpol, one of the biggest fronts for organised crime in the Northern Hemisphere.
"No first name?" Graham asked from beside her.
"No." Both Emma and Robin answered at the same time and garnered a sharp look from Killian.
"Swan?" His tone was questioning and she knew he was curious of her harmonious answer.
"I read," Emma answered quickly, shrugging her shoulders arrogantly.
"Mr Gold is elusive. No one ever see's him or capture's photos of him, which is rare as the head of such a big company," Emma decided to share some of her information with the others before having a dig at Killian, "Unlike other playboy CEO's that I know."
Robin began laughing but quickly stopped when he noticed the daggers Killian was shooting his way. Emma smirked before deciding to defuse the situation.
"What does any of this have to do with Mr Gold?"
Robin and Killian looked at each other as if sharing a big secret, "We have a history."
Emma could feel the impatience build inside of her. One of her pet hates was getting dicked around when it came to vital information. Enough was enough. She stood from her seat and placed her hand on her hips, taking an aggressive stance.
"Out with it," she commanded. Gone for the moment was the personal assistant that had to follow Killian's whims. If they asked, she would chalk it up to her life being threatened.
"It's a bit of a story Swan, perhaps..." Killian tried to placate her however nothing but answers would do that.
"Now," Emma demanded, feeling slightly like a parent who was scalding their child.
Killian nodded his head, "Robin, take Graham and get some coffee."
Graham understood immediately that he was being dismissed and he wasn't in the mood to piss off his current employer.
He waited until the two men had left before talking.
"My father," Killian spat the words as if they were contaminated.
"He had several underhanded schemes with Mr Gold. Somewhere along the line, something went wrong."
"Your father?" Emma questioned, a little shocked as Killian's background file noted that his father had been dead for many years.
Killian nodded, "I told you how Corsair's was not like it is now. Turns out I inherited more of a debt than anything else."
"My father owed Gold money and as a warning, he..." Killian choked on his words.
"He killed Liam," Emma finally put the pieces of the puzzle together. "He knew killing him was a big enough threat and your father fell into line."
Emma watched as Killian ran his hand back and forth along his stubble, "He didn't care about Liam, just his own ass. He let Gold ship cargo wherever he wanted as payment for any debts."
She replayed the previous conversations about Liam through her head, something was still missing. "What are you leaving out?"
"You want to know the kicker?" Killian teased Emma with the information, knowing she was longing for answers.
"I was unaware that Liam was even my brother." He whispered the last part so quietly that Emma had to strain to hear. His eyes held sadness in them she had only seen once before, when they had been in Durban. Emma knew that Killian had been close to Liam...but not to know that they were brothers had to have been a hard thing to swallow.
"He didn't care about Liam," Killian reiterated, "Liam was scum beneath his feet. He needed to keep his 'heir' away from his mistake."
Emma felt her brows furrow in concentration, "That's why Liam was transferred."
Killian nodded, "And that's why Gold killed Liam instead of me."
She watched the guilt eat up Killian's face, "Your father would never have co-operated if you had been killed. You were his prize."
Emma approached Killian and reached her hand out to his cup his cheek. She knew she just wanted to comfort him but there was something terribly intimate about her gesture. Killian nuzzled her palm and peppered a soft kiss to it.
Emma sucked in a shallow breathe of air and let her hand drop away.
"Thank you," she whispered not wanting to push him any further. Emma knew exactly how difficult it was to open up about your past. She had been pushing Killian for information from the day they met and she wasn't sure she wanted to do it anymore. She wanted him to open up to her of his own volition.
Killian waited several minutes in silence before asking, "You want to know more, Swan?"
If he was willing to offer, who was she to say no?
"Our relationship became estranged but I worked hard to prove myself. The old man retired after a small boating accident."
Emma knew that Killian's father had been flung from a high speed boat after having too many drinks. His injuries were quite severe.
"I took the reins." Killian continued his story, "It wasn't long before Gold was at my door."
"He wanted to continue his dealings with his cargo!" Emma stated and Killian confirmed with a brief nod.
"I wanted to restructure what was left of the company and turn it into something Liam would be proud of. Gold did not fit into those plans."
Emma closed her eyes in relief. She had been slightly afraid that Killian had made a deal with the devil.
Killian's fingers lifted her chin, "Have some faith, Swan."
Her lips quirked and Emma opened her eyes to meet his, staring intensely at her.
"He retaliated of course!"
"Your father," Emma guessed.
"Yes. His body was left with a message about those closest to me not being safe and that I should concede."
Emma knew that Killian's father had died 10 years ago. Had Gold been biding his time? She racked her brain for any significant deaths of those at Corsair's or those associated with Killian.
"There is no one until now." Killian answered the questions running through her brain with one small sentence.
Emma faltered, her eyes shot to his with accusation. "What?" she almost screeched.
"Have you not wondered why I parade around with different women? Why I make sure never to have 'family and friend weekends in the country,'"
She was shocked, "The playboy image is..."
Killian's face lack humour and was surprisingly grim, "I enjoyed the perks of being a playboy,"
Sex.
It was always about sex.
"He is warning me." Killian told her quietly, "The illicit cargo, the sabotage, the threats on your life."
"He wants you to know that he can get to you," Emma surmised bleakly.
He was tired of waiting!
David was going to have a field day with this information – minus a few personal titbits. This had blown her case wide open but it had also left her in a bit of a pickle.
"And you..."
It was now or never.
"There is something you need to know."
To be continued.
